Just a Thought
by ArouraLeona
Summary: Nothing spectacular. One-Shot on how things might end up for our beloved characters. IY/K S/M Sess/R Shippou/?


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Disclaimer: I don't own IY.

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Author's Notes: This is just some mindless waff about an ending that could happen, but my bets are that it WON'T happen. Far from my best work, please read, and please enjoy.

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Just a Thought

He thought that she loved him. She had said it before, but here she was with this boy. She was laughing and smiling… she was glowing. She didn't smile so bright with him, she was always too worried, scared, or mad to smile. Sure, she smiled, you cannot keep someone like her from smiling forever… but smiles with him did not make her glow.

Watching her now, he knew more than ever that he should keep her away. She was happy without him, and she deserved happiness more than any person he knew, with him there would always be fear and uncertainty. He wanted more for her: he wanted her to glow, even if that glow was not for him.

He looked once more at the boy she was with, he was wimpy looking, but he knew that wimpy looking did not mean wimpy… look at his brother. Sessho-Maru looked like an underfed court lady, but he was scary as hell in a fight… he was scary most of the time, but that's because he looked like an underfed court lady.

His let his mind wander away from the two laughing below him, and focused on his last encounter with his brother. Then how he had been a full demon at that time… if his brother had not appeared, he would have killed the girl that he worked so hard to protect. He knew now that for him to become a true demon would cause him to loose his soul. It bothered him that his father had been a good full-demon, and that he couldn't… so in the end he would not become a true demon.

He could be human… but he really did not want that. If she asked maybe he would, but what he was physically never seemed to bother her, it was his attitude. Kagome had accepted him for what he was. It made him… want to stay the way he was. She didn't look at him the way most people did. White hair, golden eyes, dog-ears, and claws: all of this frightened humans, but Kagome was different. She liked him the way he was, whereas Kikyou wouldn't be happy unless he became fully human, became something that he wasn't.

Something that he wasn't… that's what being a full-demon meant; being something he wasn't born to be. He had loved his mother greatly, and looking a Kagome, he began to feel that he was giving up a great gift by giving up his small sliver of humanity.

He hadn't been sure of much lately, but he knew one thing for certain: Kagome was the one to change him. It seemed to be his family's curse to be broken by mortal women. His father by his mother, him by Kagome, and it seemed more and more that the young girl Rin would be the savior of his frosty-hearted older brother.

'Saviors', that's what they were. The mortal females they all loved brought them out of the darkness that was the birthright of their demonic blood. 

There was laughter again below him. She was so happy here. He wouldn't seal the well, though he sometimes wanted to, to keep her safe, but he would do his best to let her have more time here. More time to spend with this boy, whoever he was, the boy who made her laugh the way he never could.

Technically, she was suppose to come back to his world today and normally he would force her if she was late, but not now. When he had come to get her she was with the boy. He wanted so very much to strangle him at first, then he found that he really just wanted to be in his place. To sit by her and to be carelessly happy in a way that he hadn't been since before his mother died. That was impossible though, he was here and he couldn't be happy anymore, he had lost her… lost.

He turned around and made his way back to the well, back to his own time, and back to his tree. Sitting up in its high branches he tried not to think of anything, tried to block out the laughter that still rang in his ears. He tried to make himself angry with her and the boy so that the lump in his throat would go away, but he couldn't be angry with them. He made her happy, and he wanted her to be happy… he had just hoped that she would be happy with him.

He heard the small fox-child running in his direction, followed by the priest and the demon hunter. He feigned sleep so that they wouldn't be too curious as to why he had not rushed off in a storm of anger to get her the way he usually did.

The small kit had made it to the tree and proceeded to climb up to him. He bounced on his stomach and tittered, "Why isn't she back? I thought she'd be here by now!"

He grabbed the small fox by his tail and held him over the side of the branch. He let go and the child fell into the female demon hunter's arms. "How should I know why she isn't here yet. She said something about one of her stupid 'tests', maybe that's why she isn't back. It doesn't matter anyway, I've been looking for rumors of the shards and I haven't heard a thing since she left." He was lying, he had heard of dozen or so shards, but at the moment he couldn't work up the energy to care. "The later she is the longer I will have peace and quiet." He glared at the fox. "That is if you will shut the hell up."

The words were angry enough, but they didn't have the normal force behind them, and he couldn't put it there no matter how hard he tried. The two others noticed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Priest."

"You're tired." The girl below him said. "That last fight was a hard one, and you haven't really rested since then." He didn't answer her, even to save his pride, it was as good an excuse as any, and he might even make himself believe it with some work.

He caught the small fox-demon sniffing at him from the ground. The other two said that they would go back to the hut and wait, the little boy did not leave. He scampered back up the tree and sat on a branch that was directly within his line of sight.

"You went to her time. I can smell it on you. Why did you tell us that you didn't? Did you two get in another fight." Normally Shippou would be yelling when he thought that Inu-Yasha had made Kagome upset, but this time he wasn't. His young voice was concerned.

"No we didn't"

"Then why did you come back without her? If she were sick you would have stayed! I know you would have! Something's wrong, and you have to tell me!" The child was practically wailing. Inu-Yasha was surprised at how distraught he sounded.

It was at that moment that the girl they were speaking of came out of the well. She stretched, "Inu-Yasha?! Hey Inu-Yasha?!"

Shippou leapt down from the tree and ran to her before he could answer. "What took you so long? I was worried!" She hugged the fox tightly.

"To be honest, I was worried too." She looked up the tree at him. "I'm sorry I'm late. I wasn't watching the time. Why didn't you come and get me like you usually do?" 

He grunted, "I was sleeping. Come on the others are waiting at the hut."

He jumped down and walked without turning to face her. When they made it to the small one room house, Kagome ran and gave Sango and Kaede hugs, and bowed to Miroku. He bowed in return. "How have you been?"

She smiled; no she grinned. "Absolutely wonderful! Sorry I was late and all, but I had a surprise visitor this morning and lost track of time."

"Who was it?" Sango asked.

"Oh Sango you would LOVE him. He's the greatest!" She continued to spew over how wonderful this boy was, and he couldn't handle it. He got up and left the hut and went back to his tree.

Four minutes later Kagome came up and sat down at the foot of the tree directly under him. It was a little strange how the roots formed the perfect seat on the ground right under the branches that formed the perfect seat in the air. He'd never realized that before.

"You came didn't you." It wasn't a question, she knew and he saw no reason to deny it other that his own ego.

"Yes."

"And you saw me with that guy."

"Yes."

"And you left."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"You seemed happy."

"I was happy."

"I know." He sighed. "I thought I'd let you stay longer."

"That was nice of you but…" He cut her off.

"And if you want to stay longer more often… I… I'll let you. I know that you really don't want to be here."

"What make's you think that?"

He didn't answer, and there was an uneasy quiet.

"Inu-Yasha, that guy, he isn't what you think he is."

"Then what is he?"

"My cousin."

"Your cousin." It really didn't make any difference. (AN: This was the Feudal Age, people married their cousins all the time.)

"Yes, my cousin. He move to another country called America several years ago and I hadn't seen him in a long time."

"Yeah."

She looked up at him, and he caught the faint pleading tone of her voice. "He's family Inu-Yasha, family- nothing else. I've told you before, that I love you. Why don't you believe me?"

He looked down at her, but he still wasn't convinced. "He made you laugh. You were happy."

"I'm happy here too." She whispered. "I'm happy with you."

"You shouldn't be."

"What?"

He looked away from her beautiful eyes. "I- I don't deserve you. I don't really deserve anyone."

"What does deserving have to do with it? I don't see why you don't deserve me after all you've done, but deserving has nothing to do with anything. Love, Inu-Yasha, love has everything to do with it. Do you love me?"

"…"

"Do you _love _me?"

"Yes."

"Then that's all that matters."

"No it's not. I- we won't work Kagome. I can't take you away from your family, and I don't know if I can live in your world. I'll try. If you want me too, if you ask me too, I'll try… but I'm just not sure if I can live there."

"Maybe it will be hard, but we have time. We'll think of something."

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Two years later it all ended. When the Jewel was finally put back together it disappeared back into Kagome's body, where it had come from in the first place. 

The fight was over, they had won, but there were casualties. Kaede had died of stress and an arrow to the lung. Kikyou had died protecting him. Miroku had died protecting Sango and Shippou. Sango's brother had died protecting her and Kagome. Sango was wounded and decided to move into Kaede's village as a protector and adopted Shippou.

And Kagome had been hurt. She had been poisoned. It was a slow poison, one that would take months to kill, but was incurable. But even if she was cured, it would be awhile before she regained enough strength to live as she was used to. More than likely, she would die.

It was at that time that they decided what would have to be done.

Inu-Yasha lowered her gently into the well. "I'll stay here and live. I'm a demon, and I can live for a long time. I know that I can find a cure in 500 years. I'll be waiting for you when you come through. You won't have to wait at all. I'll put you through here, and I'll pull you out of the well when you get back to your time."

She nodded weakly. "Please do. I love you. Wait for me."

He kissed her softly. "I will." Her feet touched the ground and she vanished from him. Even though he knew he'd see her eventually he couldn't stop the tears of loss from falling down his eyes. He sniffled and turned in the direction of the village.

"Well, I should get started, 500 years is only so much time to find the cure to an incurable poison."

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She looked up at the wooden roof of the shrine. "Inu-Yasha?" She croaked. "Inu-Yasha are you there?" Tears sprang into her eyes. What if he had gotten hurt at some point before then and now and died? Even worse, what if he had fallen in love with someone else and didn't care? "Inu-Yasha?"

A silver haired head appeared over her and glowing golden eyes looked down. His cute dog-ears twitched, and he smiled. "I told you I'd be here."

She burst into tears, and he leapt down and took her in his arms. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, clutching at his white button-up shirt and cried. He kissed her forehead and rocked her as he walked to her house.

Her mom opened the door for them, and directed them to her bedroom. He laid her down, and pulled out an IV tower from her closet.

"It took me awhile, but I finally figured out what would counteract the poison." He rubbed alcohol onto the top of her hand and slid the needle into a vein there. He covered it with medical tape and turned a valve. The clear liquid from the bag pumped it's way into her body.

"When did you get here?" She was whispering.

"Right after you left that last time. I came and told your family what was happening. I've been staying with them for the past two months, having nightmares about all that had happened. I had to fight to keep from going down that thrice blasted well to keep everyone from getting hurt." He sat beside her on the bed and brushed her hair from her face. Her mother quietly left the room.

"What happened with everyone after I left?"

"Well, the village was fine, and obviously did well. I got to watch it grow from what it was, to what it is now: Tokyo. Sango… Sango never really got over Miroku's death or her brother's. She lived, and she worked hard, but she didn't talk much to anyone except me and Shippou. She died quietly at the age of 54. The last thing she said to us was that she could see them waiting for her. She died smiling.

"Shippou grew up slowly. It was strange, all demons have long, near immortal lives and usually don't age quickly, but he grew up slower than any I had ever heard of. After 500 years I'd expect him to look twenty, like I look 20, but he still looks fifteen."

"Why?"

"For Sango, I think. He stayed young so that she would have someone to protect. He was someone she could love. She had lost everyone she had held most dear. All she had left was Shippou and me, and I wasn't much. Shippou could stand in for her brother, but I couldn't stand in for what she lost when she lost Miroku. But when she died, he still didn't grow. Then I think it was for me. I was used to him like that, and he grew up so slowly to keep me sane. Now…"

"Now what."

"Now he says that it's for… He says that he's had dreams of the girl that he will give his heart to, but she hasn't been born yet." She looked hard at him as he looked away from her and blushed.

"Our daughter?"

"Yes." He looked back at her, eyes soft, and held her hand. "He's waiting for our daughter."

She smiled, "I think I like that. Where is Shippou?"

"He's close. He'll be here tomorrow. We both lived in the West with my brother. That little girl he looked after grew up fast and gave him a run for his money. They soul-bonded. Sessho-maru is now a happily married 'man' and father, grandfather, and many times great-grandfather of many. He's looking forward to seeing you as well. About six months ago Shippou and I moved into an apartment here in the city, and settled down to wait."

"If he's so close why is he coming tomorrow?"

He smiled down at her; a smile that- when she left him- had been rare in the beginning and had only become easy for him in those last few months. It seemed as if he had lightened up in the last few years. "Well, you need your rest, and I plan on keeping you to myself today. I haven't seen you in a long time."

She smiled back. "No you haven't." He leaned down and kissed her. At that moment he was her world. The pain from the poison and the recent (In her perspective) loss of several of her dearest friends evaporated.

Maybe it wasn't 'the good guys won' and 'Happily Ever After', but it was better than nothing. Later there would be guilt that she was so happy when Sango, her best friend had suffered so, but- in her heart- she knew Sango would want her to be happy.

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Two years after her reunion with Inu-Yasha she was twenty, a college student, and in labor. Rin and Rin's 4 times great granddaughter, Kali, were in the room with her. Kali had given birth to her son two weeks ago, and had named him Miroku because she had been fascinated by the stories her uncle had told her as a child, and all that knew him claimed that the infant was his mirror. Their husbands were in the hospital lobby. In between screams of pain, she could imagine Sessho-maru laughing at his younger brother at how nervous he was and how tired he would be not long from now. Then as her darling twin daughters were being placed into her arms she noticed that the longer one had sharp eyes that seemed to look at her from the past.

"Sango. She will be Sango." She looked at the other and heard a name whispered in her ear. "Kari. Sango and Kari"

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Many years later young Sango and Miroku were wed, as were Shippou and Kari. They were a family who would withstand time. Rin and Kagome had near immortality through their husbands, and their children all had demon blood in them.

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End Notes: Just as I said, nothing major, I just babbled to myself for an hour and uploaded it to the site. I hope someone out there liked it!


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